Traffic marker



April 28, 1931. G D.. MYERS 1,802,924

TRAFFIC MARKER Filed Sept. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Rio N G. D. MYERS TRAFFI C MARKER April 28, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11 1,929

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 imrran GEORGE DALTON MYERS, OF GINCINNATE, OHIO, ASSIGHOR 'TO THE EDW'ARDS MANU- FACTURING- COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO QK CORPORATION OF OHIO TRAFFIC IEARKEB Application filed September 11, 1929. Serial No. 391,802.

This invention relates to a type of trafiic marker which is on the surface of the pavement it is intended to mark for zoning purposes, as for example, safety zones, street crossings, trafiic lanes, etc.

The principal object of the marker here n described is to produce such a marker as will lie close to the surface of the pavement 1t 1s to mark, so that there is no occasion for ob- 1 struction to trafiic or unnecessary roughness or unevenness in the pavement surface to which my improved marker may be applied.

A further object is to produce a traffic marker which may be applied at any time to a street surface of any paving material, w1thout destroying any portion of the street surface.

A further object is to produce such a marker as will adapt itself to application to the surface of the pavement in a manner that renders it secure against displacement and which through continued use and the passage of traffic over it, will tend to cause it to become firmly seated or secured to the pavement.

A. further object is to produce such a marker as is stronger than other markers known to me in that it is of but one piece and has a reinforced construction adapting it to use on pavements where unusually heavy traflic conditions exist.

These and other objects are attained in the trafiic marker 1 have described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmental portion of a street pavement equipped with my improved markers arranged in characteristic manner for direction of trafiic.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view showing my improved marker in position on a pavement to be marked.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the marker shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing my improved marker in the position it occupies just previous to its becoming permanently fastened in the pavement to be marked.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of a modified form of my improved marker in position on a pavement to be marked.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the marker shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of another form of marker, similar to that shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental sectional view of the form of marker shown in Fig. 7, in position on a pavement to be marked.

in the form of marker I have disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is a plate 5 which may be ,of any shape, as for example, circular, square, round, triangular, diamond shaped, arrow shaped, or otherwise. This plate prefcrably has a cross sectional shape such as would disclose its under edges lying downturned or approximately so in order'to rest upon the pavement wholly by reason of its support from these edges. This feature is disclosed in Fig. 2. i

The purpose of this is so that security of positioning may be obtained with solidity when the marker is fastened.

In the center of the plate, or at any suitable points, should the shape of the plate render it advisable to place it at any point other than the center, there has been pro vided a fastening pin 6 which has a knurled or other shaped or roughened end or head 7 which occupies a lug 8 extending downwardly from the under face of the plate and in which it has been cast. It is quite obvious, however, that the head 7 may be of any desired shape or condition which will permit of its being cast or otherwise fastened in the lug 8. For example, it is quite obvious that the head 7 may be screw threaded, if preferred, in order that the pin may be securely and permanently fastened in the lug 8.

The pin, spike or nail element 6 is of special design adapting it to the specific purpose of securing the marker to the pavement. This pin 6 has a somewhat long tapered portion 9 which is of reverse taper. By this is meant that the taper extends from a small diameter immediately beneath the plate lug 8 to 'a diameter adjacent to the lower end, which may be about as large as or slightly less than the diameter of the lug 8. From this point of large diameter of the taper, the end of the pin terminates in a short conical end 10 which forms the guiding point of the pin when it is driven into the pavement. In addition to the features just described, I have provided a series of reinforcing ribs 11 which extend inwardly from the periphery of the plate to its center lug 8, which these ribs join. The ed es of these ribs lie in the plane of the pe ripheral edge of the plate so that when the plate occupies its fastened position in the pavement, as shown in Fig. 2, they will either lie flush with the surface of the pavement or become slightly embedded'therein when the marker is driven into position. This latter condition is particularly true when the marker is used on such surface paving material as asphalt. Thus these ribs materially contribute to the strength of the marker and also prevent its being rocked within its mounting hole or of its being turned as when traffic might cause such an action in continual passage over it.

In securing the plate in position, the pavement may be prepared previously by making a hole 12, see Fig. l, of sufficient depth in its surface to receive the pin. In the case of soft or yielding paving material, such a pin hole may be made by merely driving into the pavement a bar of the diameter of or slightly less than the pin. Or, if the pavement is hard, such as concrete or the like, it may be desirable to drill the hole preparatory to placing the pin. In certain very soft paving material it may be sufficient merely to place the plate in position and to drive the pin directly into the paving material without having to make the hole previously. In any event, the hole, if necessary, should preferably be of a diameter slightly less than that of the large diameter of the tapered portions of the pin so that a snug driving fit is secured throughout the entire distance the pin is to be driven. Thus a snug driving fit is obtained up to the point where the shoulder of the lug 8 contacts the pavement surface. From this point further driving action occasions the shearing elf of the paving material surrounding the hole and forces this material ahead of the lug, thereby causing it to pack or tamp into the space surrounding the long tapered portion of the pin and in this manner form a packing key which locks the pin against withdrawal from the hole. In Fig. 1 I have shown indotted lines 13 this area which is subject to shearing action, and in Fig. 2, in reverse section lining 14E surrounding the long tapered portion 9, I have shown this sheared material in packed or tamped condition around the pin.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive I have shown modified forms of the invention, in which the pin is provided with a tapered portion 15 which terminates at its opposite end in a short point 16 by means of which the marker may be driven into the pavement. However, above the reversely tapered portion 15, is an enlarged headed portion 17 which provides a shoulder 18 adapted to perform the same shearing or tamping and packing functions as does the lug 8 in the form previously described. In order that this enlarged head 17 may be held to the plate 19 forming the exposed member of the marker, the head 17 is provided with a groove 20 about which the lug 21 of the plate is cast in order to secure the pin rigidly and as a unit therewith. This lug 21 is so shaped that it terminates in a plane with the under edge of the marker plate as shown in Fig. 5, so that support of the marker on the surface of the pavement is obtained both by the under surface of the lug and the peripheral under edge of the plate. This is also shown in Fig. 8 in which this lug 21 has its under surface lying in the '5 plane of the lower peripheral edge of the plate 19.

The only difference between the form of traffic marker shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and that shown in F igs. 7 and 8 is that the former has reinforcing ribs extending radially and identical 1n shape to the ribs 11 of the first described form of my invention, while the form disclosed in Figs. 7 and 8 discloses conically shaped points 22 grouped about the fastening pin of the marker as shown in Fig. 7, so that when the marker is driven into the pavement, the fastening pins 22 are caused to enter the pavement surface suiliciently, as shown in Fig. 8, to cause the entire marker to be fastened against rotation or other displacement from fastened position as shown.

It may be pointed out that the shape of the pm may be materially varied, as for example by making the pin of square, triangular or other transversely sectional shape'and that the general proportions of the pin may be varied as well.

It may be pointed out also that the character of the paving material may be of such a hard and crystalline nature, as for example concrete, that plastic or semi-plastic material may have to be employed as a hinder or cementitious material such as tar or liquid asphalt to secure the necessary adhesion of the pin within its mounting hole through penetration of this binder into the pours of the paving material, adhesion to the pin surfaces and binding of the sheared articles into a homogeneous packing or tamping surrounding the pin as a key to lock it in place. Asphalt paving is of such a nature as to render such separate hinder material unnecessary.

In the improved traffic marker I have disclosed, the casting of the plate and pin in one piece may be accomplished either in the manner disclosed or by making the plate, the lug and the pin all ofthe same metal and molded in one piece and at the same time. The advantage possessed by the form I have shown in the drawing is that the pin may be made of a harder, tougher and more fibrous metal, such as steel or an alloy, while the plate, although cast integrally therewith, may be made of some other metal suitable for the purpose, as for example a metal or alloy which possesses sufiicient strength but which does not rust or corrode and which will afford a smooth and polished surface tending to render the plate more distinguishable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In combination in a trafiic marker, a plate, a fastening pin mounted permanently at one end in the plate and extending therefrom, said plate having a lug mounting the pin, said pin having a tapered pavement-penetrating portion at the end opposite the plate mounted end and a reversely tapered portion between the penetrating port-ion and the plate, and means forming part of the marker and associated with the plate and the pin, adapted to shear and tamp paving material about said reversely tapered portion when the plate is brought to occupy the pavement surface by driving the pin therein, said means having a shearing arealarger than the pavement opening occupied by the tapered portions, whereby material engaged by the means will be sheared from the pavement surrounding the opening and tamped thereby into the opening surrounding the reversely tapered portion of the pin.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

G. DALTON MYERS. 

